Esmeralda

Chapter 1

After I delivered the vaccine to a six year old, I was sent home with the rest of the day off, by my boss Morgan.

"Hey Esmeralda, take the rest of the day off honey, we have too many people on call, and most of you are all sitting around," she said.

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"I'm sure don't worry, take the day off go and explore some of the city," she stated, waving me off.

As I walked out into the sinking sun I felt my skin tingle with gratitude to be out from under all those LED lights. I took a deep breath of the salty air and I headed back to my apartment where I knew Aurora was watching her favourite show on Netflix.

I decided to take the long way home because I wanted to stop by the store and stock up on ice cream and chocolate because when Aurora watches her show she has a lot of tantrums.

I shook my head at the fact that she sounds like a five year old when she is actually twenty-two and I am twenty-one.

That was when I heard him. The low guttural sound of a person in pain. I paused and this time I heard a man with a deep voice speaking lowly.

I followed the voice until it led me to an alley. There I saw two men holding up a third, and the fourth was holding the third man's jaw, his nails digging into his chin.

My brain screamed at my legs to run but then the third man turned and saw me.

"Th- there take her, b- but p-please don't take me," he pleaded.

"Shut up," the fourth man said with a thick Spanish accent as he turned and saw me.

He held my gaze with his amber coloured eyes. His face was a smooth mask of ice but was hard like stone. Finally I broke our gaze.

I looked around but I had no escape.

"Do you think she will talk boss?" on of the men asked.

"Don't be stupid, of course she will," the other one stated.

He nodded to his men and they came and surrounded me. I tried to fight them off, but it was no use. One tied my feet, and the other bound my hands together.

While the second guy was still tying my feet I got an idea.

"Can you pull up my sock?" I asked.

He grunted and he let go of the rope and my legs for a second but that was all I needed.

I kicked him in the throat and I took of running. The second guy was helping the third, and the spanish guy was left to chase me down.

I ran as fast as I could but I came to a dead end. I looked around but I was trapped. When he was getting closer I turned around and I tried to climb the wall, but he grabbed a hold of my waist and brought me down.

I tried to get away and free myself, but it was no use. He held me in place with an iron grip. We were pressed up against each other so close that I could feel his chest rise and fall with each breath that he took.

"Let me go!" I yelled.

"You can't expect me to let something of mine go," he replied smoothly.

"You will never own me," I spat out.

"Ay querida niña," he started, "You don't know it but you already made yourself mine."

"What makes you think that you own me?"

"I can't let a witness go and run freely."

"Please, I have to go back home," I cried.

I tried to get free but he grabbed a hold of that one spot on my neck and before I knew it, the world went dark.

I was right. It was Andrés. The faceless threat in Miami. The leader of the Cuban Mafia.

I woke up in the trunk of their car. My legs were still bound, but my hands were bound in front instead of behind my back.

I pounded on the walls of the trunk and I also started yelling out in hopes that they would let me out. I kept this up until they stopped, and Andrés got out and opened the trunk.

He took me out and threw me unceremoniously over his shoulder. He walked away from the car and I started pounding on his back.

"Put me down Andrés!" I yelled.

He froze and looked around. Then he finally set me down. He put a hand over my mouth and held me against him.

"Don't say my name outloud unless you want me to kill you," he threatened.

I kicked at his shins and I kept screaming as loud as I could. He clamped his hand even harder over my mouth.

I started crying and he loosened his grip.

He looked uncomfortable, like if he didn't know what to do when a girl cried. He let me go but he still held on to my shoulders and he looked me in the eyes.

"Let me go," I cried softly.

"You know very well that I can't," he said gently.

"Please," my voice was cracking and more tears flowed out of my eyes.

I tried to take a step back but he tightened his grip on me. I somehow managed to take a step back into the light of the lamp post.

I heard his breath hitched and he whispered, "Lucia."

I pushed against his chest and he staggered back a few steps. He composed himself and he took a step towards me.

"I am not her, I am not the person whose name you whispered, so just please let me go," I whimpered. I tried to shake him off but it was no use. His hand was like an iron clasp around my arm. I ket squriming against him in hopes that he would let me go.

"Can you stop moving!" he yelled as he started to drag me back over to the car. I was hyperventalating but soon enough I got lightheaded and when he pulled me to the car. He put me in and as soon as the door closed I closed my eyes in defeat.